


Mari and Viktor Have a Conversation

by NotTheTomato



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Family Feels, Gen, M/M, google translate, language barriers, multilingual conversations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-27
Updated: 2018-09-27
Packaged: 2019-07-18 03:21:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16109714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotTheTomato/pseuds/NotTheTomato
Summary: "For a moment, they both sit listening to the distant sounds of Hasetsu.  When Mari speaks, her words wrap around her lips slow and careful, “I have a reason to be talking to you today, Viktor.”"Wherein Mari and Viktor in a quiet moment post-Grand Prix Final sit down and have a chat. Via Google Translate.





	Mari and Viktor Have a Conversation

**Author's Note:**

> I taught English for a year in Japan and speak some Japanese, wondered what would happen if yoi was a bit more realistic re: language barriers, and also I love family feels so this is a brain-child of that. The google translate Japanese was actually done through google translate. The google translate English is a mix of google translate and my experiences teaching English to Japanese students and noticing language patterns for beginner English speakers. There may be some mistakes, but rest assured I thought A Lot about how to translate the funny things that happen when you directly translate different languages speech patterns.
> 
> I used hovertext for the translations, but for mobile users I put in footnote links as well.

Mari is sitting outside, looking out at the bare trees in the inn’s front yard and smoking a cigarette when she hears the sliding door rattle as it opens and wood creaks underfoot. She doesn’t look over right away. She already knows who it is.

Taking a drag from her cigarette and tapping the ashes into an ash tray beside her, Mari turns to face Viktor. He’s wearing the Yuutopia yukata and his usually perfectly coiffed hair is damp against his scalp. It’s a good thing her mom isn’t there to see him or she’d fuss over him getting a cold.

Mari nods her head in acknowledgement and Viktor quietly sits down next to her. For a moment, they both sit listening to the distant sounds of Hasetsu. When Mari speaks, her words wrap around her lips slow and careful, “I have a reason to be talking to you today, Viktor.”

She opens her mouth to say more, but words fail her. Her mouth opens again – pauses and shuts. She’d written a whole speech – first in Japanese, then translated into English using a combination of what little she remembered from high school, her dictionary, and an online translator – but now it was all gone. Just her luck. Time for Plan B, she thinks as she tsks under her breath and pulls out her phone from her pocket. Once she finishes tapping on the screen, she holds it out towards Victor, and a robotic-sounding female voice rings out from the phone. “I’d like to talk about my little brother.”

She types out more words into her phone as Viktor stares at her, his hand covering his mouth to poorly cover an amused smile as he peers over at her phone and sees google translate. The robotic voice continues. “If you hurt your brother, you hurt you.”

Mari frowns and shakes her head. “No, _my_ brother. I hurt you.” She scowls at Viktor and clarifies, “If you hurt my brother, I hurt you.” She takes another drag of her cigarette and types more, one-handed.

Viktor’s bites back a giggle as this is a _serious moment_. “No, no, I would never hurt my Yuuri-“ He cuts himself off, unsure of how much she understands. He pulls out his own phone from a pocket and opens up his translation app, his fingers moving rapidly on the screen. For a moment it is silent except for the tapping of fingers on smartphone screens.

“私はゆうりを傷つけることはないだろう。”[1] Viktor’s phone says in a robotic Japanese voice.

Mari snorts, tap-tap-tapping the backspace button and inputting new words. “I know,” the phone says. “I trust in you.”

Viktor perks up at that and smiles broadly at the approval, a lot like Vicchan used to when Yuuri would return home from skating practice, Mari muses. Figures her little brother would end up dating a dog-person. It’s quiet as he patiently waits until she finishes her paragraph and hits enter.

“I’m not threatening you. No need. I know that Viktor loves Yuuri. And Yuuri loves Viktor too. You made him happy. Yuuri is my brother since childhood. So, I know many things about Yuuri. I want to help you.”

Viktor is still smiling, but an eyebrow slowly raises itself in interest. He taps on his phone and it says, “何を手伝って？”[2]

Mari types in her response. The robotic voice rings out, “I have advice. Sometimes, he gets anxious.” As her phone speaks she sees recognition flash in his eyes. Good. What she doesn’t expect however is for Viktor to abruptly stand up and run back inside.

She leans to the side to try and look back through the sliding door he thoughtlessly left open (man she is starting to sound like her mother) and takes another drag of her cigarette as she waits. She knows him well enough to know he wouldn’t just leave her like that – not when it has to do with Yuuri. Mari had had many private thoughts about the Russian foreigner when he just showed up on their doorstep, claiming he was going to be Yuuri’s coach in broken Japanese, and not all of them were good. She had read some of the magazines her brother religiously collected back in his teenage years. She knew his reputation. But actually meeting the man at 27 years old, well, he had surprised her.

Viktor was loud, dramatic, a bit flighty, and overall just… a lot. Of everything. By Japanese standards he was a typhoon of a person. But somehow, he and Yuuri just seemed to fit together, two strange jigsaw pieces from two different puzzles fitting together and creating something new and beautiful.

…Seriously, those two are so cute together it’s even affecting her mind. The things she does for her little brother, she thinks as she shakes her head. Mari takes one last drag and snuffs it out in the cigarette tray next to her. There’s a quiet moment as she allows herself a quieter smile. 

Viktor comes back with the same whirlwind energy he always has when it comes to matter relating to her brother and sits back down on the porch next to her, a small poodle-themed notebook in hand and an eager smile.

With both her hands free, Mari turns to her phone and types – pauses, erases – and retypes. Once satisfied, she lets the robotic voice do her talking.

“You already know my younger brother gets anxious about competition. But he has other anxious things such as lobsters.”

Viktor looks up from his notebook. “Lobsters…?” he parrots back in disbelief.

Mari looks back evenly. She scrunches her eyebrows together as she pauses before speaking carefully. “When he is a child, lobster…” and makes a pinching motion with her hand. 

She holds back a chuckle as she sees Viktor’s eyes widened in understanding. She had already pegged him as an only child. The next bit of 'trivia' is a bit more difficult to translate so she types on her phone.

“Yuuri is afraid of lobsters. Do not talk about lobsters near him. He is afraid of hermit crabs too. They bit his toes.”

Viktor is scribbling down notes as her phone speaks for her. “What should I-“ he frowns and types on his phone instead. “私はゆうりをたすけるために何をすべきですか？”[3]

Mari quirks an eyebrow, but starts to type a response when she notices her future brother-in-law typing something else into his translator, so she waits.

“私はゆうりの不安を意味した.” [4]

God, these saps. Honestly, she isn’t sure there is too much she can say about how to help her brother with his anxiety. It felt like Viktor had done more to help him in a year than she’d been able to his entire life. She isn’t bitter, not really, but it makes her feel a little better having Viktor looking to her for help. On that note, she types into her phone.

“First of all, don’t make my younger brother cry.” She gives him a knowing look. She’d watched her brother’s performance at the Japanese Championships. She’d seen those red eyes.

As expected Viktor’s face flushes with guilt. She lets him stew on that for a moment. And then another. She types an addition. “I know he cries a lot. He should cry because he is happy.”

For a moment it’s quiet, the only sound coming from the tapping of fingers on screens.

“Viktor should-“

“私はゆうりー”[5]

The sentences jumble together, a mix of robotic English and Japanese. Viktor puffs a laugh. Mari smiles. She presses the audio button again to replay her message.

“Viktor should listen to Yuuri. Listen to what Yuuri means. Read the atmosphere. Yuuri thinks too much and says too little. Does what he thinks is best for others, but does not ask. Viktor should make Yuuri listen. Yuuri should be more selfish.”

As Viktor takes notes, Mari itches for another cigarette. She never has been good with talking about feelings. She prefers to let her actions speak for her, but Viktor is different. He needs words. 

Viktor’s phone speaks. “まりちゃん、どうやって彼が心配するのを止めるのを助けるの？”[6]

This makes her pause. More typing. Another pause – long, heavy – before she finishes.

“He cannot stop. Yuuri is always worrying. But, Viktor helps. Near Viktor, Yuuri worries less. Viktor gives confidence to Yuuri. I do not understand how, but near Viktor he is happier.”

Viktor nods in understanding, looking out at Yuutopia’s front yard, at the bare trees. He rubs his hands and breaths into them. “I’ll try my best” he says quietly.

For a while the two of them just sit, enjoying a comfortable silence. The wind blows through the trees and she sees Viktor shiver in his yukata. Best wrap this up before her future in-law catches a cold, she thinks.

She types into her phone and holds it in her lap as it speaks. “Before Viktor goes, I want you to know. You two people are going to become married, therefore we are family. Family takes care of each other. I love my younger brother, but he can be stupid. Someday Yuuri probably will hurt you. If he does, text me.”

She carefully avoids looking at Viktor as her phone speaks her heart. But she can’t resist, she looks over. He isn’t crying puppy tears like she worried, but instead just looks touched. Raw. She is seeing a side of Viktor that she realizes few have seen.

Viktor responds with his strange fusion Russian-American accent.  “ありがとう、まりちゃん。全部にありがとう。”[7]

And there are the waterworks. But not Viktor’s. To her surprise, her own eyes are tearing up at this goofy, strange Russian man’s sincerity. Ugh, she really is turning into her mother. As she quickly wipes her eyes, she sees Viktor’s arms open in a clear offering. She sighs long-suffering but scoots over and allows her future brother-in-law to give her a side hug. “Thank you, for everything too.” 

They separate and sit together for a few minutes when it starts to snow. Her mother calls outside. “まりちゃん！ヴィっちゃん！食べましょうよ！”[8]  
Viktor smiles at her as he releases her. He speaks carefully, “お姉ちゃん、行きません, yes?”[9]

Mari smiles crookedly and ruffles his hair before standing up. “We go, Vicchan.”

**Author's Note:**

> Extra:  
> “YUURI DON’T LOOK!”  
> “…Viktor, why are you covering my eyes.”
> 
> \-------------------
> 
> Thanks for reading! Do you guys have any funny translation stories?
> 
> Translations:  
> 1“私はゆうりを傷つけることはないだろう。” - I won't hurt Yuuri. [Return to text]  
> 2“何を手伝って？” - Help with what? [Return to text]  
> 3“私はゆうりをたすけるために何をすべきですか？” - How can I help with Yuuri? [Return to text]  
> 4“私はゆうりの不安を意味した.” - I meant about his anxiety. [Return to text]  
> 5“私はゆうりー” - I- [Return to text]  
> 6“まりちゃん、どうやって彼が心配するのを止めるのを助けるの？” - Mari, how do I help him stop worrying? [Return to text]  
> 7“ありがとう、まりちゃん。全部にありがとう。” - Thank you, Mari. Thank you for everything. [Return to text]  
> 8“まりちゃん！ヴィっちゃん！食べましょうよ！” - Mari! Viktor! Let's eat! [Return to text]  
> 9“お姉ちゃん、行きません, yes?” - Mari, I don't go, yes? [Return to text]


End file.
